August 17, 09

NEWS / New Orleans Man Indicted for Mail Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - GEORGE MAGEE, age 53, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury today on two counts of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft relating to fraudulent FEMA claims, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.
According to the indictment, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided disaster assistance money to those affected by Hurricane Katrina, including rental housing assistance. In addition to making his own claim for FEMA assistance, it is alleged that MAGEE submitted two applications to FEMA using the identities of other individuals. In connection with those applications, he submitted false addresses and false documentation to make it appear that those individuals lived at those false addresses at the time of the storm. The indictment charges that as a result of MAGEE’s representations, two checks totaling $7,736.98 were sent using the U.S. mail to a mailbox in MAGEE’s apartment complex. It is further alleged that MAGEE forged the signatures of the two individuals and deposited the checks into his own account.
If convicted, MAGEE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years and a $250,000 fine. U. S. Attorney Letten reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

http://www.dhs.gov/xoig/assets/press/OIGpr_080609.pdf

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